3 reasons why Joe Root can break Sachin Tendulkar's record of most Test runs

England batter Joe Root recently became only the 11th player to cross the 11,000-run mark in Test cricket. The former skipper reached the landmark during his brisk fifty against Ireland in the one-off Test at Lord's.

Root is currently the second-leading run-scorer for England, closely behind former skipper Sir Alastair Cook, who ended his international career with 12,472 runs. Being one of the most gifted batters that the sport has ever seen, Root can achieve even greater heights, with the record of holding the most runs in the format being one of them.

Sachin Tendulkar is the leading scorer in the longest format of the game with 15,921 runs across 200 Tests in a career that spanned over two decades. Root is currently 4917 runs behind the Indian legend, but it is a target that is definitely in his sight.

He has surpassed legendary batters like Sunil Gavaskar and Steve Waugh in the process and is bound to overtake the likes of Allan Border and more as well.

On that note, let us take a look at three reasons why Joe Root can break Sachin Tendulkar's record of most Test runs.

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#1 Age is on Root's side

Joe Root turned 32 in December 2022, leaving him plenty of time to play enough Tests to potentially surpass the record. The inception of the World Test Championship (WTC), leaves the future of the longest format in safe hands.

A high-profile side like England are bound to play regular Test cricket in the coming years. The Ben Stokes-led side will play close to 18 Tests till the end of 2024 when Root turns 34.

England are slated to play an additional 21 Tests from 2025 to 2027. Even taking injuries and workload management, rotation into account, it gives the batter plenty of time to make a serious stride towards the imperious record run tally and breach it.

Root already has played 130 Tests, which is far more than the peers of his age, and he will keep on amassing appearances as time goes on as he is a key player for England.

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#2 No signs of slowing down

Root went through a lean patch by his standards between 2019 and 2021 but arguably became the best batter in the format since then. He piled on centuries as the rest of the 'Fab Four' struggled for runs.

The former England skipper averages 50.24 in Tests, a number which is likely to remain more or less the same, given his consistency. Should he maintain his good form and score at the same rate in the future as well, he should be able to score the remaining 4917 runs in about 98 innings, which amounts to around 49 Tests.

While it is far-fetched to think that he will play until the age of 40 much like Tendulkar, it is realistic that the Englishman will go on to appear in 49 more matches, especially since England are lined up to play 39 Tests across the next four years.

He has also found his groove under the regime of Ben Stokes and has settled well into the philosophy of attacking cricket.

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#3 Test cricket is his focus and priority

Joe Root's compatriots are currently juggling multiple formats as well as franchise cricket in the modern era. While Root has been dabbling around the prospect of franchise cricket, he is mostly a fringe player and has been mostly using it as an avenue to stay in rhythm.

He is still in England's ODI plans, but it is evident that Test cricket is his most favored format based on his performances and playing style. He is likely to continue with red-ball cricket for a pretty long time after he has wrapped up his ODI career.

The absence of other formats in his vision arguably prolongs his career and safeguards him from injuries as well, leaving him in the perfect state to create history in Tests.

Will the ace batter become the leading run scorer in Test cricket by the time he retires? Let us know what you think.